Seasonal Volunteer Specialist
Season dates: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 through Friday, November 20, 2026
Position & Program Summary
The Volunteer Specialist plays an important role in engaging the people who live, work, and play in the Greenway landscape in stewardship activities to deepen connections with the natural world and improve habitat for salmon and other wildlife. They support the implementation and administration of ecological restoration volunteer events at parks across the Greenway landscape with groups of 20 to 100 volunteers. The volunteer specialist facilitates both mid-week and Saturday events for school groups, corporate teams, community service organizations, affinity groups, and the general public. Depending on the season, they lead a mix of tree planting, tree potting and invasive weed removal events. This position also supports the education, restoration, and recreation programs.
Organizational Overview
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust works to steward a diverse landscape that stretches 100 miles from the shores of Puget Sound across the Cascade Mountains to Central Washington. Designated as a National Heritage Area in 2019, the Greenway landscape encompasses two million people, 28 cities, three major river systems, two Interstate highways, and 1.5 million acres (900,000 acres publicly owned). Its working lands support forests and farms on both sides of the mountains. Its waterways provide habitat for salmon. Its protected alpine wilderness includes recovery corridors for wolves, grizzly bears, and other species once hunted to regional extinction. Its expansive access to nature, including 1,600 miles of trails, is the heart of Washington’s $20 billion outdoor recreation economy.
Vast natural resources, the nation’s 15th largest metropolitan area, and many competing interests create the potential for conflicts. Navigating these conflicts, with the goal of conserving that precarious balance between natural and built environments, is the founding and enduring purpose of the Greenway Trust.
An early adopter of “collective impact,” the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust was founded on the belief that to grow in harmony with nature instead of consuming it, the full community must be engaged. The goal of conserving this region’s wild and green character brought together the spheres of government, industry, and conservation and community organizations for the first time. Collaboration, compromise, and common good were the rules of engagement. We are proud to say that, three decades later, they still are.
Essential Job Functions
Lead Volunteer Events (60%)
- Lead volunteer events with up to 100 participants from the community, school groups, and corporate groups at sites around the Greenway landscape.
- Educate participants about ecology, salmon recovery, native plants, and ecological health.
- Cultivate an inclusive environment by maintaining respectful, supportive, and compassionate relationships with coworkers, volunteers, and partner staff.
- Teach volunteers to safely and effectively use tools such as shovels, loppers, and metal rakes.
- Prepare for events by conducting site visits, meeting with staff from partner groups, and completing tool maintenance.
- Load supplies (i.e., tools, gloves, event A-frame sign) into a truck, transport to the event site, and set up before the event begins.
Data Entry and Synthesis (15%)
- Track key volunteer data in an online database, including number of volunteers, square feet of weeds removed, number of trees planted, etc.
- Assist with program documentation, including completing event reports in Salesforce and taking and uploading event photos.
Cross-Program Support (20%)
- Education events: support education field trips and stewardship events with groups of 4th to 12th grade students.
- Restoration activities: assist the restoration team with planting trees and shrubs or removing introduced plant species.
- Trail events: support the recreation team with trail building and volunteer supervision at trail volunteer events.
- Support communication projects, which may include contributing to quarterly e-newsletter, writing a blog, or posting on social media.
Other (5%)
- Perform other duties as situations require or as assigned by supervisor.
Experience
Please review the complete job description for this posting with additional information on skills, abilities and requirements. At least one year of demonstrated experience with a combination of the following is desired:
- Event leadership: Facilitating activities for large groups in outdoor settings.
- Ecological restoration: Plant identification, installing native plants, and removing introduced weed species.
Pay
The pay for this position is $24 per hour.
Benefits
A complete list of benefits for seasonal employees can be found on the Greenway Trust’s Career page. Select benefits include a $250 gear stipend (at the start of the season), paid time off, optional participation in an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Agreement ($200 monthly contributed by the Greenway Trust), and optional participation in a 403(b) retirement plan. Employees completing the entire term (ending November 20) will receive a $500 end of season bonus.
Reports To
Volunteer Coordinator
Work Schedule
This is a full-time, non-exempt position working five eight-hour days (generally 8:00am to 4:30pm) Tuesday through Saturday for most of the season.
Work Location
This position is based out of the Greenway Trust’s field office in Issaquah. The position is hybrid, with approximately 70% of the time spent in the field. Field work takes place project sites on public lands throughout the Greenway. Office work takes place at the Greenway Trust’s Issaquah Field Office (1980 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah, WA 98027), the employee’s home, and other meeting locations. Greenway vehicles located at the Issaquah Field Office are used for driving to/from events.
Physical Requirements
Office work involves sitting or standing for long periods while working on a computer and participating in meetings. Fieldwork includes site visits and event leadership, with physical requirements such as working in all types of weather; walking up to two miles across uneven terrain; transporting event supplies (e.g., shovels, potted plants, A-frame signs); and visual and auditory ability to identify and respond to environmental hazards.
Field Gear
The following personal field gear is required:
- Sturdy, above the ankle, work or hiking boots
- Rain boots
- Durable work pants
The Greenway Trust provides members both long and short sleeve shirts and hats, along with a $250 gear stipend at the start of the season to help employees purchase required personal gear. Additionally, the Greenway Trust loans the following gear annually:
- Rain gear (overalls and jacket)
- Tools and gloves
- Required personal protective equipment (PPE)
How to Apply
Send a cover letter and resume explaining your interest to apply@mtsgreenway.org, indicating which position you are applying for in the subject line. Your cover letter should not exceed two pages, and should address the following:
- Your experience leading activities for groups.
- Your experience connecting historically underrepresented communities with nature.
- Your familiarity with the Pacific Northwest and human impacts in the region.
We will contact applicants when we reach the priority deadline and anticipate conducting the interview process early to mid-January 2026. Finalists will be asked to provide three references related to previous
Equal Opportunity Provider
The Greenway Trust is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, ancestry, genetic information, use of a service animal, honorably discharged veteran, military status, political ideology, personal appearance, family responsibilities, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law. Each person is evaluated on the basis of personal aptitude and merit.